About Alzheimer's Disease: Symptoms

The course of Alzheimer's disease is not the same in every person, but symptoms seem to develop over the same general stages. In most people with Alzheimer's, symptoms first appear after age 65.

Scientists now know that Alzheimer’s progresses on a spectrum with three stages—an early, preclinical stage with no symptoms; a middle stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI); and a final stage of Alzheimer’s dementia. At this time, doctors cannot predict with any certainty which people with MCI will or will not develop Alzheimer’s.

Very early signs and symptoms

Memory problems are typically one of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease. Sometimes, other thinking problems, such as trouble finding the right words or poor judgment, are most prominent early on. Read more about other early signs of Alzheimer's »

Mild Alzheimer's disease

As the disease progresses, memory loss worsens, and changes in other cognitive abilities are evident. Problems can include:

Severe Alzheimer's disease

People with severe Alzheimer's cannot communicate and are completely dependent on others for their care. Near the end, the person may be in bed most or all of the time as the body shuts down. Their symptoms often include:

inability to communicate

weight loss

seizures

skin infections

difficulty swallowing

groaning, moaning, or grunting

increased sleeping

lack of control of bowel and bladder

Learn more

For more detailed information on signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, read the section in Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery, "The Changing Brain in AD."

Featured Research

A growing body of research has shown that Alzheimer’s may cause changes in the brain a decade or more before symptoms appear and that symptoms do not always directly relate to abnormal changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s. To reflect these findings, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association collaborated to develop updated diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease, released in April, 2011. Read more about the updated diagnostic guidelines »